Feeder for grain-separators.



N0. 70I,240. Patented May 27, I902. F. J. WOOD. FEEDER FOR GRAIN SEPARATORS.

(Application filed June 4, 1901.)

2 Sheets-Slicet I.

(No Model.)

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UNITED STATES ATENT FFICE- FRANZ J. l/VOOD, OF DES MOINES, IOWA, ASSIGNOR TO WVOOD BROS. STEEL SELF FEEDER 00., INCORPORATED, OF DES MOINES, IOWA.

FEEDER FOR GRAlN-SEPARATORS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 701,240, dated May 27, 1902. Application filed June 4, 1901. Serial No. 63,144. (No model.)

To rtZZ whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRANZ J. \VOOD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Des Moines, in the county of Polk and State of Iowa, have invented new and usefulImprovements in Feeders for Grain-Separators, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in feeders for grain- Io separators, the object being to generally improve the construction of such mechanism and provide in one device means for feeding grain either in bundles or when headed to a threshing-machine or separator.

I 5 The invention consists in the construction and arrangement of the parts, as will be hereinafter set forth, and specifically pointed out in the claims. 7

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate myinvention, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a feeder for threshing-machines or grain-separators viewed from the side to which a governor is attached. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal' sectionalview, the folding carrier being shown in position for usein full lines and folded in dotted lines. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the spreading-forks, showing the means for operating and adjusting the same. Fig. 4 is a front elevation showing a part of the feeding-forks which operate over the discharge end of the feeding-board. Fig. 5 is an end view showing the means for attaching the feeding-forks to their operating and guide shafts. Fig. 6 is a side elevation of one of the band-cutting knives. Fig. 7 is a front View of the governor; Fig. 8, a vertical section through the governor and one of the sprocket-wheels carried by the same shaft as the governor. Fig. 9 is a rear elevation,

partly in section, showing the means for supporting and driving the spreading-fingers; and Fig. 10 is a vertical section on the line 9 9.

The frame of the feeder is made up of angleiron and sheet-steel, to which suitable forg- 5 ings are attachedto provide connecting means,

shaft-bearings, and other parts of the structure, and in the make-up of the frame there are practically three connected parts namely, the part A,to which are attached feeding-forks, band-cutters, and spreading-forks.

An endless carrier-frame B is pivotally connected to the part A, said carrier-frame comprising an inner and outer section which are connected to each other and to the part A so as to be self-supporting, the connections being such that one end maybe let down when the other section is raised.

The part 0 includes a feeding-board which is supported by being pivoted to part A its outer end being adjustable to guide the ma- 6o terial which is fed thereon to the separator.

The frame A has side extensions A, made up of converging bars a a, which are connected by a fixture a having an eye in which is seated the bent and enlarged end of a rod B which extends therefrom to the outer section of the jointed carrier. The frame A has vertical side pieces or bars A which carry bearings for the shaft having the knives,

bearings for the inner end of the folding carrier, and lower down bearings for a shaft which oscillates the spreading-fingers and re ciprocates the feeding-board, which is hung upon a crank-shaft E, which is journaled in the vertical bars A of the frame. The frame A is partially incased by sheet-metal plates, and the top above the knives and for a considerable distance beyond may have a hood which is apertured for the passage of the spreading-forks,which operate above the end- 8o less carrier and in front of the band-cutting knives.

The endless-carrier frame, comprising two parts or sections 13' B has at one end a shaft b, which engages with the parts A of the frame, this shaft having at its end a sprocketwheel and within the frame A sprocketwheels I) for driving the endless carrier-belt. The frame for the carrier-belt has at its end vertical side boards, and said section is con- 0 nected to the end section by a rule-hinge, one ofthe parts of the hinge having formed integral therewithl'ugs toreceive the ends of a shaft 71 which has mounted thereon sprocketwheels with which the side chains of the car- 5 rier-belt engage. The front part of the carrier-frame has side sections which flare outward and at ltSGHd a cross-bar and beyond the cross-bar a shaft with sprocket-wheels, the shaft being journaled in boxes which are adjustable longitudinally. The outer section of the carrier-frame has depending eyes 12 with which the ends of rods 13 engage, said rods also engaging the fixtures at, Then .it is desired to fold the carrier-frame, it is only necessary to elevate that part opposite the 'main driving-pulley, and adjacent to said pulley and rigidly attached to the shaft is a sprocket-wheel over which passes a chain for driving the sprocket-wheel e on the shaft E, said shaft having a crank e at its center which is engaged by a link 6 attached to the feeding-board for imparting a reciprocating motion thereto when the shaft is rotated. The shaft E has also attached thereto a single cam or disk E, the periphery of which ongages with rollers ff, attached so as to depend from a bar F, which is reciprocated thereby, said bar having depending teeth which engage with gear-wheels, upon which are mounted oscillating fingers F, said fingers being shaped to provide end portions which are journaled in bearing-pieces f, attached to an angular cross-piece by straps f, the cross-pieces being rigidly secured to the bars A of the frame. When the shaft E is rotated, the feeding-board will be reciprocated and the fingers F oscillated. They having a very rapid movement will thoroughly spread the grain before it is fed forward by the feeding-forks G, which are positioned over the feeding-board and near the threshing-cylinder.

Upon theshaft D,whichis constantlydriven, there are rigidly attached cutting-blades D, said blades having volute cutting edges,which are serrated, the indentations from the point of the blades inclining but a short distance in one direction, after which the direction of the serrations are reversed, this structure being to efiect a cutting of the bands of the sheaves, and subsequently a separation of the severed portions. Beyond the serrations the blades may have smooth cutting edges. The blades are arranged upon the shaft so that their points-will be in approximately spiral series.

G refers to feeding-forks, which engage with fixtures attached to a shaft G, which is supported by vertically-adjustable hangers, said shaft having a sprocket-wheel g, over which passes a chain, which also engages a sprocket-wheel on the shaft 1) and one on the shaft D, adjacent to the governor, so that when the latter sprocket-wheel is idle the operation of the forks and the endless carrier will cease, the governor being thrown out of gear with the disk that is loosely attached to the shaft D when the speed of the threshingcylinder is retarded.

To the frame A, so as to operate in front of the band-cutting blades and above the endless carrier-belt, are forks H, which are driven by a crankshaft H, which is journaled in brackets h, mounted on the main frame. The crank-shaft is driven by achain, which engages a sprocket-wheel thereon and a sprocket-wheel on the shaft D, these spreadin g-forks remaining in operation when the forks G are idle. The bars whichcarry the forks are connected to boxes, so as to be adjustable therein, thus providing means for varying the length of the forks, and upon the bars of the forks are mounted slides which engage with the outwardly-bent ends of a bail H which is pivoted to the main frame and provided with a lever H having a loop and set-screw, the loop passing over an up- WardIy-projectingbar attached to a cross-piece carried by theuprights which support the forks G, and by shifting the position of this lever the height and throw of the forks may be varied. The tines of the fork are arranged practically at right angles with the supportingbars therefor and are curved, as shown.

It is essential to the proper working of a feeder to provide means for operating the parts at different rates of speed in accord with the conditions and kind of material to be fed, and to meet such conditions I provide a plurality of sprocket-wheels of different sizes and place one of such sprocket-wheels, as I, upon the shaft D, said wheel having projections i to engage apertures or perforations in a flanged disk K, which is loosely mounted on the same shaft. Attached so as to be removed from the shaft and lie within the flange of the disk is a frame L, which is rigidly secured to the shaft, the frame having on opposite sides projections k, 75, and the latter being bifurcated and the former serving as guides for bars m, having on one end heads, the other ends being bent to project toward the center frame, where they are engaged by the ends of weighted arms L, which are pivoted between the bifurcated projections 70 About the bars m, between the projections 7t 7c, are placed springs, which engage the projections 70 and nuts m, these springs retracting the bars or drawing them out of engagement with the flange of the disk when the speed of the shaft is not sufficient to move the weights on the arms toward the flange, thereby stopping the operation of the parts which are driven by the sprocket-wheel I when the rotation of the threshing-cylinder falls below normal, and when such stoppage takes place feeding of the grain to the cylinder will cease until the normal speed of the cylinder is resumed. It will be noted that during the period when the feed is stopped the oscillating fingers and separating-forks remain in action, thus well separating the grain that will be fed when the feeding is first resumed.

The construction of the feeder herein set forth provides for feeding all kinds and conditions of grain, and when used as a bandcutter and feeder the spreading-forks H may be raised so as to clear the sheaves and are lowered or thrown into operative position when feeding loose material, and when so feeding the serrated edges of the band-cutter assist or cooperate with the endless carrier.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In afeeder for the purpose set forth, a carrier-frame made up of two sections which are hinged to each other the hinges having abutting edges above their pintles, a supportingframe therefor to which one section of the carrier-frame is pivoted, rods permanently attached to be in swinging engagement with extensions of the supporting-frame and with the outer section of the carrier-frame, the points of connection being 011 difierent horizontal planes whereby the sections will be maintained in line without other supporting means, and when the hinged joint between the sections is broken upwardly the outer section will swing under the frame of the feeder and be maintained by the rods below its inner section which is pi voted to the frame.

2. In a band-cutter and feeder, the combination with a shaft, of a plurality of blades mounted on the shaft at right angles thereto each blade having volute cutting edges, serrations in each blade at those parts thereof which are farthest from the shaft, the serrations being at one angle near the points of the blades and at an opposing angle beyond the first serrations but continuous therewith to provide serrations or teeth the first to contact with the sheaves being somewhat in the direction of the rotation of the blades and the other serrations in a reverse direction thereto, substantially as shown.

3. In a feeder for separators, spreadingforks consisting of bars having at one end depending tines, clamps for adj ustably attaching the bars to a crank-shaft, slides mounted on the bar, a bail H having bent ends which engage the slides, and a lever rigidly attached to the bail for adjusting the same to vary the position of the slides on the bars of the forks, substantially as shown.

4. A governor for band-cutters and feeders comprising a flanged disk, a frame separate therefrom and rigidly attached to a shaft upon which the disk is loosely mounted so that the frame will be within the flange of said disk, three similar projections on each side of the frame, bars guided by two of the projecting portions, heads on the ends of each bar, weighted arms pivoted to the other pro jecting portion of the frame so that when said arms are swung outward by centrifugal force the heads of the bars will be thrown into engagement with the flange of the disk, springs which encircle the bars said springs acting to move the bars and weighted arms inwardly, nuts mounted on the bars with which the springs engage, and a sprocket-wheel in positive engagement with the flanged disk and loosely mounted on the shaft, substantially as shown.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FRANZ J. WOOlD.

WVitnesses:

A. A. MCLAUGHLIN, MAUDE DIXSON. 

